HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-10-02 Board of Public Works Minutes October 2, 1979
Meeting of the Board of Public Works convened in the audi-
torium of the Community Center at 7:30 P.M.
Present were Chairman Price, Secretary Cowell , Board Mem-
bers Testa, DeHart and Wood,, Superintendent Louanis, Assistant
Superintendent Bergeron and Finance Committee Member Linscott.
Minutes of the Board of Public Works meeting of September
24th were accepted as written.
The Board reviewed bids received on September 6, 1979 for
various types of maple trees, total bids as follows:
-Cherry Hill Nurseries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1 ,830.00
Bigelow Nurseries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,005.00
N. E. Nurseries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,625.00
Weston Nurseries (2 of 3 items) . . . . . . . . . 3,028.50
Blueview Nurseries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 100.00
Wm. Flamer ' s Sons, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 160.00
Mr. Cowell moved, Mr. DeHart seconded and it was voted to award
the contract for trees and shrubs to Cherry Hill Nurseries in
the amount of $1. ,830.00.
Mr. Sweetland, representing the Atlantic Realty Trust,
appeared before the Board to hear the Board' s recommendations
relative to the proposed sidewalk construction in front of the
Atlantic Mall on Haven Street. The Engineering Division recommends
the proposed sidewalk be allowed with the following modifications:
( 1 ) The proposed concrete posts with chains will not be allowed
within the public way. (2) The proposed tree will not be allowed
within the public way. (3) The proposed handicap ramp will be
located near the hydrant and will conform to the Rules and Regu-
lations of the Architectural Barriers Board. (4) The proposed
Rough Textured Terrazzo will not be allowed within the public
way. (5) The proposed 4" x 8" x 1" wire cut surface will be
allowed if imbedded in a standard cement concrete sidewalk as
specified in the Board of Survey Rules and Regulations.
It was moved, seconded and voted to discuss taking an ease-
ment from the end of Margaret Road to Mark Avenue for Water Pur-
poses. Said item was tabled at the meeting of September 17th.
In the interest of improving the water distribution system it is
planned to complete the loop by extending the water main from
Mark Avenue to Margaret Road. Therefore, Mrs. Wood moved, Mr.
DeHart seconded and it was voted to take a forty foot easement
from the northeasterly terminus of Margaret Road to Mark Avenue '
approximately 3,675 square feet in area, for the purpose of in- I
stalling and maintaining a water main.
The Board reviewed invoice from legal counsel , Tyler and
Reynolds, wherein the Board of Public Works is charged for 10.7
hours at $45.00 per hour. Mrs. Wood moved, Mr. Cowell seconded
and it was voted to approve the charge of $481 .50 and the Super-
intendent was directed to inform the Board of Selectmen of the
Board' s action.
The Board reviewed and approved proposed letter to Weston
and Sampson Engineers, Inc. regarding the Town of Reading Agree-
ments - Willow Street Interceptor and .Street Sewers and Ejector
Stations. The Board was unanimous in its request that the
letter be signed by Town .Counsel .
Chairman Price called the Board' s attention to the follow-
ing meeting dates:
Meeting on Solid Waste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .October 9
Labor Negotiations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .October 10 ,
All Boards meeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .October 18
Meeting on Solid Waste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .October 15
Mr. Cowell moved, Mr. DeHart seconded and it was Voted to
sign letter committing the sum of $1 ,418.94 for sewer frontage
assessments and the sum of $1 , 120.00 for sewer house connections
to the Tax Collector for collection and to assess betterments
as listed on betterment sheet Sewer House Connection Lateral Page
17 and Sewer Frontage Page 4.
Secretary Cowell read notice of public hearing on the Town
of Reading' s solid waste problem at 8:00 P.M. , wherein all in-
terested citizens were urged to give their input to the Board
Iy of Public Works concerning this serious problem. Chairman Price
greeted the group attending the meeting, stating that NESWC was
represented by Mr. Wright who would speak and following that the
Board would ask questions and then the meeting would be open to
comments from the floor. Mr. Wright reviewed the present opera-
tion of the Town of Reading as it relates to solid waste stating ,
that our cost is roughly $20 per ton which is anormal cost on
today ' s market. NESWC proposes to provide a disposal site
capable of accepting Reading' s trash for a period of twenty years.
\Minutes - continued October 2, 1979
The tipping fee will be $5.00 per ton and will go down during
the next three years. The tipping fee depends upon the price
of oil and electricity and as the price of oil goes up the
tipping fee will go down as 90% of the profit from energy sold
is returned to the communities. The Town of North Andover
will be the host community and will be the first community to
sign an agreement with UOP either during the last week in Octo-
ber or the first week in November. The time will be determined
by Governor King.
Mr. Jack Albis of the Bureau of Solid Waste stated Bureau
supports the NESWC project that the contractor has been selected
from the four bidders by Mitre Corp. and the NESWC Committee and
the Bureau of Solid Waste and the Bureau felt of the different
options available Resco, SESWC and Titan that the NESWC proposal
is the best all around long term solution to the solid waste
problem.
Mr. Price opened the questioning to the Board. Mr. Testa
asked for a review of how the cost and credits were offset one
against the other to arrive at the $5.00 tipping fee. Mr.
Wright presented to the Board a tipping fee comparison outlining
the effect of a 900 ton-a-day municipality mixed with 600 ton-a-
day private compared against 900 ton-a-day municipality and
1 ,500 hundred ton-a-day municipality. Comparison appended hereto.
This lays out the cost of operation and revenues collected the
difference comprising the tipping fee. Mr. Testa asked further
for an explanation of the operation and maintenance costs since
that cost went down $3.54 for a total municipal 1 ,500 ton-a-day
plant. Mr. Wright went into a lengthy explanation which boils
down to the fact that when all municipal tons are pledged the
debt service cost and the operation maintenance costs are re-
duced because the revenue is insured by the municipality. Mrs.
Wood asked where the two NESWC or UPO plants were located and
Mr. Wright stated one plant designed by Metcalf and Eddy was
located in Chicago and no problems have been experienced there.
The second plant is located in Harrisburg, Pa. , and this plant
is also working well and producing steam for heating public
buildings.
Questions were forthcoming from the floor relative to
the financial responsibility of the Town. Although the Town ,
signs an agreement with NESWC there would be no, financial I
responsibility to be borne by the Town. According to Mr.
Wright the Town ' s only obligation would be to furnish its
trash to the site in North Andover.
It was moved, seconded and voted to continue the dis-
cussion at 8:00 P.M. on October 9th.
The Board signed the Bill Roll dated October 5th and the
Payroll for the period ending September 28th, 1979.
Meeting adjourned at 10: 55 P.M. tfu
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JOHN W. PRICE. Chairman
OFFICE OF DOUGLAS A. COWELL. Seen n
TOWN OF READING DAVID L. TESTA
DON B. DeBABT
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS GAIL F. WOOD
E. ROGER LOUANIS. SupMnten t
a MUNICIPAL BUILDING
READING. MASS. 01887
MASSACHUSETTS COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
Middlesex, ss.
The undersigned, Board of Public Works of the Town
of Reading, in compliance with the provisions of the General
Laws, Chapter 80, as amended by Chapter 63 of the Acts of
1933, hereby certify that the lists herewith contain the
names of persons against whom we have made betterment assess-
ments together with the location of the land benefited by the
improvement and the nature and amount of such betterment assess-
ment.
Sewer frontage assessment $ 1 ,418.94
Sewer House Connections 1 , 120.00
Such list is certified to you for the purpose of
committing the same to the Tax Collector, as provided by law.
WITNESS our hands this second day of October A.D.
1979.
f� Chairman
ecretary
See Commitment Sheet
For List